An experienced archer knows exactly what he wants, so this should in theory make purchasing equipment a doddle. However, the exacting standards of the sport and his / her desire to choose the very best equipment on offer may come at a high price, so this can make things a bit more complicated. You may want to check out our How to Choose a Compound Bow guide too.
Aside from the archery equipment There are one or two other purchases necessary when you’re taking part in competitive archery. For example, there’s membership of Archery GB, the British national governing body. This is not a legal requirement, but there are legal implications.
High Quality Recurve And Compound Bows
Two of the best compound bows available are made by Bear Archery, an American company formed by Fred Bear (1902-1988), a traveller, film producer, and archery pioneer.
The Bear Attitude is a powerful compound bow, offering huge speed and accuracy – perfect for experienced hunters and field archers.
The Bear Cruzer can be used from child beginner level to large game hunting. It has a huge peak draw weight range from 5 to 70 pounds and a fully adjustable draw length from 12 to 30 inches.
Top of the recurve class are bows made by Hoyt Archery, a company founded in 1931 by Earl Hoyt Senior. Made from super-strong (and comparatively light) carbon fibre, Hoyt recurve bows were used by every gold medal winner in archery at the international sporting event of 2012.
All of these compound bows can be found in the Pellpax online archery shop, along with a wide range of archery supplies.
Second-Hand Equipment
There’s a lot of second-hand archery equipment available. One of the best outlets is Aardvark Archery, based in Pudsey in West Yorkshire. The large warehouse stocks new and second-hand archery equipment, all of which can be viewed on their website and ordered online.
Other sites where you can find second-hand archery gear are: Freeads, Preloved, Clickers Archery, and Trovit.
A Word On Insurance When Competing Abroad
When competing abroad, an archer must buy insurance, because Archery GB does not cover members when shooting outside of the UK. Archery GB is the National Governing Body (NGB) for British Archery, and is a member of the World Archery Federation (WA), the governing body of world archery.
If a British archer enters a competition abroad, he must obtain insurance for that event. Archery GB membership does not cover a British competitor abroad. However, in the event of the Briton being uninsured, the other competitors’ insurance will not be invalidated, as long as the Briton is a member of Archery GB.
The same applies to competitions in the UK. A foreign contender will have to be specially insured. But as long as he’s a member of his own National Governing Body, which, in turn, is a member of the World Archery Federation, the foreign competitor’s lack of insurance will not invalidate that of the other archers.
This ruling applies also to individuals taking part in competitions in their own country. If a British archer, who is not a member of Archery GB, were to enter a competition in the UK without obtaining insurance, the insurance of all other competitors would become invalid.
Grab all of your archery supplies, from compound bows and recurve bows to quivers, arrows, and much more, in our archery store. And learn more about Hoyt Archery on their dedicated collections page.
Trap and Skeet shooting are increasing in popularity
The popularity of target shooting is growing rapidly, especially among the young. New clubs are opening, and existing clubs are growing. Shooting is being introduced into schools and scouts groups. Opportunities for participation are opening up to everyone.
The sport is a test of concentration, steadiness of body and mind, technique, eyesight, and judgement. It’s one of the few sports that don’t rely upon strength, physical fitness, size, or speed. Many shooters are still on top form in old age. Large people are not hampered by excess body weight, and small people are not disadvantaged by lack of it.
1# Early Game Shooting
King Henry VIII was very fond of firearms – the new-fangled weapons that were superseding bows and arrows. In the 16th century, game shooting was an elitist sport, and since the late 14th century had been restricted to men worth £2 a year or more. An Act of Parliament in 1671 stipulated that only men with a landed income of at least £100 per year were permitted to take game, reflecting inevitable inflation and a rather slow reaction to it.
2# Early Trap Shooting
The sport of trap shooting has been around since 1750, when live birds, usually pigeons, were used as targets. The birds were held in traps or under hats and then released – to be shot at. Sometimes inanimate objects, like potatoes, were hurled into the air for targets. At one particular competition, cricket balls were launched by a fast bowler.
3# Glass Ball Targets
In the 1860s, the glass ball was introduced – possibly in England, but popularised in the US by Charles Portlock. These targets – hollow glass spheres filled with feathers (for realism) or sometimes with dust, flour, or shredded newspaper – were catapulted into the air by simple traps. The sport had now become cheaper (and consequently more popular), consistent, and more humane.
The simplest form of glass ball target had a smooth surface, but the designs became more sophisticated, with ridged or patterned surfaces, which prevented shot from glancing off. Sometimes the balls were marked with the manufacturer’s name.
The problem with glass balls, though, was the debris – large quantities of broken glass. Participants would often shoot over water, and divers of later decades have retrieved many whole (i.e. missed) balls. There were attempts to develop alternative forms of inanimate targets, like the reusable wooden ball with an explosive surface, and the ecologically friendly ball designed to decompose.
The glass balls, which were in use for only a couple of decades before the invention of clay targets in 1880, were made in bright colours, and it’s not uncommon for modern-day collectors of glass ball targets to come across them hanging on Christmas trees. They’re often mistaken for baubles!
4# The Naming of Skeet
Bang … bye-bye blackbird … these are two of the many thousand competition entries for naming the new US shooting game invented by Charles E Davies in 1920. The naming competition, run in 1926, was won by a housewife from Montana, Gertrude Hurlbutt, who suggested skeet, a word derived from the Norwegian ‘skyte’, meaning ‘shoot’.
5# A Young Star
Miroslav Bednarik, a Czechoslovakian International Trap shooter, was born in 1965. In 1985, Miroslav was picked for the Open World Trap competition at the Montecatini club in Italy, known as the ‘mecca’ of international clay target shooting, but with the reputation of being one of the most difficult.
At twenty years old, Miroslav was still young enough to compete in junior events and was a favourite for the junior world title. But entering the senior competition meant that he would not be eligible to take part as a junior. A dilemma? For Bednarik, it was a no-brainer. He broke 197 of the 200 clays, becoming the only junior shooter in the history of the ISSF to win the senior Open World Trap title.
In 1989, at just 24 years old, the young Czechoslovakian champion was killed in a motorcycle accident.
6# Winchester Models
Kimberley Rhode, an American born in 1979, is an International Double Trap and Skeet champion, considered by the ISSF to be one of their four greatest shotgun shooters of all time. After her win at a prestigious international sporting competition in London in 2012, Kimberley’s image appeared on a Winchester Ammunition cartridge box.
Before Kimberley, only three other people had been featured on a Winchester Ammunition box. These were: company founder Oliver Winchester, actor John Wayne, and US president Theodore Roosevelt.
Champion shooter and trap machine inventor, John Bidwell
7# Automatic Trap Machines
In 1909, the first automatic trap machine was used. Over the last century, the machines have been developed and improved. One of the latest models is the Auto Sporter Clay Trap machine, which is supplied to shooting clubs and competitive events all over the world and is used in conjunction with an automatic counter system.
It was invented by John Bidwell, who is a world champion clay pigeon shooter and the owner / manager of High Lodge, a sports and events centre in Suffolk, where the Auto Shooter is manufactured.
You can grab shotguns for sale and target shooting supplies by heading to our Rifles and Shotguns store.
This summer will see many new enthusiasts for the sport of archery, so if you’ve discovered a newfound passion for this activity, then read on to find out how you can get involved….
All forms of archery in the UK are under governance of ArcheryGB, which is affiliated to the World Archery Federation – formerly FITA (Fédération Internationale de Tir à l’Arc) – and is a member of the British Olympic Association. The very first archery society was founded in 1537, under the direction of Henry VIII, and by the 1600s, archery was established as a competitive sport.
Archery GB
ContactingArchery GB(http://www.archerygb.org)is a good first step to learning archery. The website provides information about clubs, competitions, and courses. You don’t have to be a member of Archery GB to take part in the sport, but there are advantages. As a member, you are eligible to enter its regional and national tournaments and to attend its training courses (although not all of the courses are exclusive to members). There is also subscription to a quarterly magazine, Archery UK.
Field Archery
Field archery involves an exciting trek through woodland and open countryside, shooting at a series of archery targets from designated positions. These targets can be flat or three dimensional, upright or tilted, small or large, and at short or long distances. The archer might be shooting among trees, on a slope, across a pond, or from a gulley – you could be shooting from rocky or muddy terrain, in rain or wind, bright sunlight or semi-darkness.
Outdoor Target Archery
This is the most popular discipline in the UK. Archers shoot at circular, colour-coded targets – each colour representing two scores. The white (outer) ring is one and two, the black, three and four, the blue, five and six, the red, seven and eight, and the gold (centre) ring is nine and ten; the bullseye (10) is 2cm in diameter. Outdoor archery targets are at distances ranging from 40 yards (37m) to
A bow and arrow
100 yards (91m) for seniors, and from ten yards (9m) to 80 yards (73m) for juniors. In a competition, each archer will shoot ten ends of six arrows, thereby shooting 60 arrows in all. The maximum score for an end is 60 points.
Indoor Target Archery
Indoor target archeryis popular during the winter months. Archers shoot at a standard ten-ring target at a distance of 20 yards (18m). Like outdoor archery, both recurve and compound bows are used for the indoor sport.
Flight Archery
Flight Archery – a rare sport in the UK – is about shooting your arrows as far as you can. The obvious problem with this sport is that there are so few places it can be played. A target is, by definition, a stop for a potentially lethal projectile. It’s a challenge to find a suitable venue for flight archery!
Archery in Schools
Archery GB is working in conjunction with School Games to introduce schoolchildren to archery, offering opportunities for intra- and inter-school competition. For dedicated youngsters, there is even the chance of competing on a national level. “We believe that by supporting schools and their networks to deliver the School Games, more young people will also be introduced to archery and enjoy further opportunities through clubs.” Archery GB.
Archery GB Courses
When you join an archery club as a novice, you will likely be required to take part in a beginners’ course consisting of four to six introductory lessons, delivered by a qualified coach. The club’s Archery GB insurance covers new members for the first six lessons that they receive at the club, but after that, if you choose to continue with archery, you will need to join the club or Archery GB. Many people, of course, join both.
The Archery GB Instructor Award is designed for people working in educational environments, and for those who work in recreation and leisure. This basic, entry-level course focusses on training both experienced and novice archers to deliver safe and enjoyable introductory archery sessions.
Level 1 Award in Coaching Archery trains an archer to deliver a course for beginners and includes 12 hours’ supported practice (coaching at your own club, for example) and an assessment delivered over a 12-week period.
Level 2 Award in Coaching Archery is for Archery GB Level 1 coaches. This course teaches participants to deliver a club coaching programme, take responsibility for beginners’ courses, prepare archers for their first competitions, and to manage, mentor and support Level 1 coaches.
Archery Equipment
The oldest form of bow is the longbow, and it is still a favourite of many archers today. From about 3500 BC, the longbow was established as the Egyptians’ primary weapon of war. In the 13th and 14th centuries, longbow-men were the core of the English Army, but during the 16th century, the invention of firearms meant the decline of the bow and arrow as a war weapon.
The recurve bow is the most popular kind of bow, and the only form to be used in most world archery competitions. It’s essentially a bow with limbs that curve away from the archer when unstrung. It was invented by the Assyrians in about 1800 BC – the early models being made of wood, horn, and leather. Shorter than a longbow, the recurve bow proved to be a handy weapon to use whilst racing around in chariots. At Pellpax, we have a wide range of recurve bows and accessories in our archery shop.
Another popular type of the bow is the compound bow, which was first developed by an American, Holless Wilbur Allen, in 1966. Working on a pulley / cam system, the bow provides a mechanical advantage to the archer, allowing the limbs of the bow to be more rigid and therefore more energy efficient than those of the longbow or recurve bow. At Pellpax, we have a wide range of compound bowsand accessories.
Meanwhile, the crossbow – a short bow mounted on a stock – originated in China during the sixth century BC. The projectiles are called bolts (or quarrels), fired from a string which is released by a trigger. The crossbow is a silent, powerful, and accurate hunting tool (outside of the UK), as well as a popular discipline within competitive archery. At Pellpax, we have a wide range of crossbows for sale and accessories, which you can check out here.
Head to the ArcheryGB website to learn more about archery. Or check out our extensive range of crossbows for sale, archery accessories and other goods in our archery shop.
This month, we take a look at the work of North Walsham Rifle & Pistol Club in Norfolk…..
The club demonstrate shooting with rifles
Founded in 1934, with a current membership of over 200, North Walsham Rifle & Pistol Club is one of the most progressive target shooting clubs in the country. Development Officer Mike Kirkham, who has been shooting since he was 15 years old, says, “The key to our success has been to change our club culture to think more like a sports club, and to actively promote and market what we offer.”
Safety First
Taking safety precautions
The UK has the toughest gun regulations in the world – and that explains the safety of the sport in this country. Each new member joins NWRPC as a probationer. After six months (and at least 12 shooting sessions), the probationary member graduates to full membership on condition that two committee members declare that he / she is safe to shoot. The new member must then sign to say that he / she has read and understood the range rules, which are displayed on a wall in the clubhouse.
Below the range rules is the signing-in book. Every member must sign in and out on every visit. This is not only a security measure, but also a record that can be referred to in the event of a new licence application – evidence of regular shooting is an advantage to an applicant.
Ranges & Competitions
The NWRPC offers three types of shooting. The .22 target range has 10 firing points (two of which are designed for disabled users) at 25 yards, 50 metres, and 100 yards. (The discrepancy in measurement is a shooting convention.) The air range, with 12 firing points, offers sporting knock-down targets at 40 yards and 70 yards, as well as 10-metre air rifle and air pistol competition shooting. There is also a 25-yard black powder pistol gallery.
Competitive spirit is lively at this club. Some competitions (Norfolk County League, Bedfordshire League, Perthshire League, Somerset League, Hendon League, Eastern Region League) are conducted via mail; participants shoot at pre-labelled targets and send away these targets (score cards), which must be signed by an independent witness – in most cases another club member.
Charles Cain shows his target shooting handiwork
Charles Cain, 73 (and I must stress – a young 73), is an experienced competitor and coach. In the 1980s, he won the English Championship, and won a silver medal for England in the Commonwealth Games. The weekend before I visited the club, Charles had won the Norfolk Summer Championship in Corpusty, a competition that consisted of 80 shots: four targets at 50 yards, 10 times, and four targets at 100 yards, 10 times. Mike Kirkham came third.
Fabian Halstead (club Treasurer) told me that shooting competitions began about 100 years ago. One of the first trophies in circulation is still around today and has been won, on several occasions, by members of the North Walsham Rifle and Pistol Club. It’s a solid silver trophy, awarded to the individual with the highest score in the Norfolk Winter and Summer Outdoor County Meetings, and is housed in an enormous white cabinet – hence the affectionate nickname, ‘The Fridge’.
Funding & Future
North Walsham Gun Club receives substantial support from lottery-funded sporting bodies. Active Norfolk is the County Sports Partnership (CSP) for Norfolk, working in partnership with Norfolk’s local authorities and Sport England to increase participation in sport and physical activity. Another organisation, Sportivate, offers six to eight weeks’ free or subsidised coaching to young people between the ages of 11 and 25, with particular emphasis on individuals with a disability or from a low-income family.
The club’s key aim is to encourage youngsters in the sport. The provision of range facilities for scout groups – the main source of new members – plays an important role in the progressive development of the club. Mike Kirkham hopes that it won’t be too long before young Norfolk target shooters are competing at an international level.
The NWRPC, which is open to members from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. 364 days in the year, had over 5,500 visits from members in the last 12 months. If you are interested in becoming a member, contact Oliver Crysell (Chairman) on 01692 581997 or head to http://www.nwrpc.co.uk for more information. To find out more about Active Norfolk head to their website.
One of our distinctive Pellpax vans on the way to a delivery.
One of the most important parts of Pellpax is our door to door airgun & shotgun delivery service. Unlike many of our competitors, who often send your order to your local Registered Firearms Dealer for collection, we have the facility to deliver air rifles, air pistols and shotgun cartridges nationwide, directly to your door.
These deliveries take place each weekend thanks to our team of drivers, many of whom are previously members of the armed forces and police. To shed more light on this very special air rifle delivery service, we sent out blogger and writer Hazel Randall to spend some time with one of our drivers…..
Friday lunchtime:
Parcels are being loaded into the van in reverse order of delivery. Every item has been double-checked, all guns have been fired, and each package has the customer’s name written clearly on it. The driver, Chris Avern, is handed a folder labelled NORTH, which contains 54 invoices and three hotel booking forms, all in correct order. Taped to the front of the folder is Pellpax’s Certificate of Registration as a Firearms Dealer.
Sophisticated software used in the Pellpax office has calculated the route and approximate time between drops. Taking into account time that will be spent with customers, an estimated time of arrival has been written on each invoice, and customers have been advised of this time. (No pressure then, Chris.)
Chris programmes the satnav with the postcode for the first drop, copied from the invoice. The satnav shows an estimated time of arrival – a few minutes earlier than the time shown on the invoice.
Pellpax delivery driver Chris tours the country each weekend.
Chris locks the back door of the van and sets off. In the back of the van there’s a CCTV camera, and above the passenger seat is a tiny monitor. Security is paramount.
The sky is overcast and there’s a chill in the air, but the weather forecast for the north of England is good. With Radio 2 playing in the background and mobile phone (with Bluetooth connection) fixed to the dashboard, Chris begins his solitary three-day sojourn.
This is the first weekend in June. White hawthorn is frothing madly in the hedgerows, its sweet scent drifting into the van. Now and then, a splash of pink or red may blossom grabs the eye, and then it’s gone, leaving its glorious image hovering in the memory. Meadows are studded with daisies, and in the gardens, laburnum trees are weighed down by copious yellow blossom.
Chris arrives at the first address five minutes ahead of time. He takes the customer’s package from the van and knocks on the front door. The door is opened by a smiling, middle-aged man, who congratulates Chris on his excellent time-keeping. The two men have a friendly chat, and the customer tells Chris about his pigeon problem. The client’s ID documents are on the hall table, ready for this delivery.
When Chris delivers a gun or any item related to guns – pellets, scope, silencer, etc. – he must see photographic ID and a household bill that connects the client’s name and billing address. Chris records passport or driving licence serial numbers, and signs to say that he has seen the documents. If the photographic ID is something other than passport or driving licence, and there is no serial number to record, Chris takes a photograph of the document for reference. Then the client signs the form. When the paperwork is complete, Chris hands over the goods and the invoice and invites the client to check his purchase.
Chris makes a successful delivery to another happy customer.
Back in the van, Chris takes the second invoice from the folder and enters the postcode in the satnav. The ETA displayed on the satnav is 10 minutes ahead of the ETA on the invoice. Chris is making good time.
Already, the sky is clearer and the sun is warming the air. Chris takes off his sweater and throws it onto the passenger seat. He winds the window down halfway and sings along to Dire Straits and Walk of Life.
In the beautiful city of Lincoln, the Pellpax van scoots up and down the steep roads, carving a route between flower-filled gardens and elegant architecture.
When the Romans invaded the Iron Age settlement of Lindo (Celtic for pool) in 48 AD, they renamed the town Lindum Colonia, but by 1066 the name had evolved into old English Lincylene. During WW1, the first ever tanks were designed and built in Lincoln, and the city’s manufacturers continued to produce a wide range of military vehicles during WW2.
After one drop in the middle of Lincoln, Chris heads for The Humber Bridge – a 2,220-metre suspension bridge over the Humber Estuary, connecting Lincolnshire to the East Riding of Yorkshire. The Humber Bridge is the seventh longest of its kind in the world; however, when it was opened to traffic in 1981, it was the longest. It’s foggy and drizzling with rain when Chris makes the crossing. With the window wound up, he croons an accompaniment to Dolly Parton as she sings I Will Always Love You.
Crossing the Humber Bridge
In the evening, after a delicious spicy pizza and a bottle of Coke, Chris arrives at a pre-booked hotel in Bradford. He has delivered to ten addresses today. Backing the van against the car park wall, he takes his overnight bag into the hotel, signs in, and snuggles into bed.
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Saturday morning
Chris is jerked awake, by his phone alarm. The first drop, half an hour’s drive from the hotel, is due soon. Chris showers, dresses, and finishes up last night’s pizza. Shortly after, he’s driving away from the hotel, squinting into the low sun.
Chris arrives in good time at the first address. The customer is wearing a dressing gown but answers the door promptly, ID in hand. He and Chris greet one another like old friends. This is a repeat customer – a man appreciative of the Pellpax air rifle delivery service.
The next customer is not in. Chris knocks several times and phones the contact number given on the invoice. Five minutes after the due delivery time, Chris writes a note to say that he has called and slips it through the letterbox. He’ll have to take this item home again.
Nobody’s home, so Chris leaves a note for a customer.
Twenty minutes later, Chris is driving into the pleasant grounds of a residential home. The sniper rifle to be delivered is for a member of staff. The door is opened by the client’s colleague, who has her own ID ready. Chris asks to see the client’s ID as well, but it seems that he hasn’t left it for her. Chris has no other phone number for the client, other than the number for this address. The lady tries to contact the client, but with no success. Chris apologises and says that he will not leave the rifle without seeing the required ID. There is no other option – he must take the gun back to Pellpax.
Today’s route takes Chris over the Yorkshire Dales. But first he must fill up with diesel – and coffee. The large red Costa sign that stands at the garage entrance is reminiscent of one of those seductive ladies who stand by an oasis in the Road films, beckoning to Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. Fortunately, the Costa sign is not a mirage.
Chris has long distances to drive between drops today. There are only 16 addresses to visit, but they span a distance of several hundred miles.
The view from Sharp Haw – a hill with an elevation of 357 metres on the southern edge of the Dales – is stunning. The word ‘haw’ comes from Old English ‘hawian’ (view). Chris stops the car and gets out for a few moments. His feet brush past bright yellow buttercups on impossibly slender stems, vying for attention with gorgeous campion and achingly pretty bindweed.
There are traffic jams in Hull. Temporary lights at roadworks seem to be permanently red. Chris makes a phone call to his next customer, explaining that he’s stuck in traffic queues. Apologising for the delay, he gives an estimated time of arrival, adding that he might be even later. The customer says not to worry – she’s well aware of the roadworks and the delays they’re causing.
After dropping off the parcel, Chris phones the next customer. He’s twenty minutes behind time, but the roads are fairly clear now. He tells the customer that he’ll be there within half an hour.
It’s evening, and Chris makes his final drop of the day 15 minutes after the due delivery time. Perked up a little by a nourishing KFC, Chris makes his way to the pre-booked Travel Lodge in Hull. Before signing in, he enters the postcode of tomorrow’s first drop in the satnav. He signs in, has a shower, and falls into bed.
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Sunday morning:
Chris wakes, showers and leaves the hotel. His mood is not going to match the lovely weather until he’s had a coffee. After ten minutes of driving, an oasis appears. With a large Costa coffee inside him, the monster that got out of bed minutes earlier turns into a Beach Boys backing singer.
This morning, Chris delivers the only shotgun of the weekend – a Webley and Scott 900 Extreme Sporter 30” Barrel, 12 gauge. In addition to ID checks, Chris must see the client’s firearms licence and sign to say that he has seen it. With this invoice are two copies of a Firearm Transfer Notification letter. On this occasion, there are no shotgun cartridges delivered, but we do have the very rare facility to do this, also.
The client must enter information about the firearm purchased from Pellpax, including the serial number, along with his own name, address, and licence number. It’s the client’s responsibility to send his copy by recorded post to his local firearms department. Chris takes the second copy back to Pellpax for their records.
A drop on the western outskirts of Kendal takes Chris through the picturesque town, famous for Kendal mint cake, the high-energy confectionary that sustained numerous explorers on expeditions to Mount Everest, K2, and the north and south poles.
During the first half of the second millennium, the main industry in Kendal was the manufacture of woollen goods – notably the hard-wearing fabric known as Kendal Green, worn by archers in battles of the Hundred Years War. The cloth was steeped in a yellow dye produced from Genista tinctoria (dyer’s broom), and then overdyed with blue Isatis tinctoria (dyer’s woad). The motto on the Kendal coat of arms is Pannus mihi panis (cloth is my bread).
Driving over Lambrigg Fell in Cumbria, Chris passes the Lambrigg Wind Farm (pictured), owned by RWE npower renewables (previously National Wind Power). The wind farm, opened in September 2000, comprises five turbines that produce enough pollution-free electricity to meet the average needs of around 2,500 UK homes.
Today takes Chris both under and over the River Mersey, and across the rivers Kent and Aire. He crosses the Manchester Ship Canal and the Aire & Calder Navigation, which leads into the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.
Grazing the outskirts of Liverpool, Chris’ route wends eastward. The day ends at a Premier Inn in Derby – an unusual arrangement of chalet-style rooms around a courtyard, with external stairs to the upper storey. Chris drops his bag onto the floor and falls face-down onto the bed.
***************
Monday morning:
Just eight more drops to do. For some reason, Chris craves something fishy to eat. He settles for a prawn-mayonnaise sandwich from a garage shop, accompanied, of course, by a Costa coffee. This leads to a hearty rendition of the James Bond theme song, Nobody Does it Better.
After the final drop, Chris fills up with diesel; there’s a two-hour drive back to the Pellpax base in Aylsham, Norfolk. When he arrives, Chris hands the undelivered items to sales manager, Jason Whittle, explaining the circumstances of each one, and takes the paperwork to the office.
This weekend, Chris has driven over a thousand miles, through 14 counties, and has visited 54 addresses. Next weekend will be similar, but the route will be different. But now it’s time to go home. Chris exchanges the Pellpax van for his own ‘Fred’, and drives away, just in time to collect his son from school.
In a new feature, we take a look at airgun clubs up and down the country. This month it’s the turn of Cromer Air Rifle Club, which is in our part of the world, Eastern England.
Cromer Air Rifle Club was established in 1974. Like most airgun clubs at that time, it was an indoor range, which meant shooting paper targets at six yards, using 6 ft/lb air rifles – not too challenging, but great fun when you’re in competition. But as the sport waned in popularity, so did local competition. Airgun clubs’ membership was diminishing, and some clubs just folded. For the handful of members remaining in the Cromer Air Rifle Club, indoor shooting was not much fun.
So, in the 1980s, the club moved outside, to a range where members could shoot at 55-yard targets, using 12 ft/lb guns. The ft/lb unit is a measurement of kinetic energy, calculated by multiplying half the mass of the projectile by the velocity squared. It is a legal requirement that an airgun that shoots over 12 ft/lbs (approximately equal to 16 joules) must have a firearms certificate.
Outdoors, with mud, foliage, nice views and weather, competition wasn’t so important. Shooting with a few friends, or even alone, was a pleasure. Now airgun shooting was fun again, and, as you would expect, club membership grew.
Nick Larty with a hand-built Sports Match GC2 air rifle
The Cromer Air Rifle Club now has its home in Bodham, in a quiet, out-of-the-way location on farmland. The long track that leads from the road to the shooting ground is very thoughtfully signposted with the location’s postcode. Shooters meet every Sunday morning between nine o’clock and twelve o’clock, unless it’s raining.
There are only eight airgun clubs in this region – a region that covers no fewer than eight counties. The winter league, which takes place every year between October and April, is open to all members of these eight BFTA (British Field Target Association) clubs, and each club takes a turn to host a round.
It’s a thirty-shot course, undertaken in pairs. In each of the 15 lanes there are four targets – two for each shooter. Every metal target is punched with a hole, which is 35 mm, 25 mm, or 15 mm in diameter. Behind the hole is a piece of metal on a spring, which, when hit, gives a satisfying ‘clunk’.
Airgun shooting is normally done in a sitting or lying position, but some of the targets in the Winter League competition are ‘positional’ shots, which must be taken from a standing and a kneeling position. (If your knees aren’t up to kneeling, you can opt for standing only!)
If you are interested in taking up airgun shooting, or if you are an experienced shooter looking for a local club, contact Nick Larty, Cromer Air Rifle Club co-ordinator, on 01263 570 223 or 07796 904 482, or just turn up at the club on a Sunday morning from 9 a.m. The postcode is NR25 6PN.
With our store selling everything from compound bows to arrow quivers, it seemed only fair that we interview someone from the world of archery, for the avid and passionate fanbase that buy our products.
That’s why our correspondent Hazel Randall talked to archery instructor, Andrew Hood, nine-times winner of the Norfolk Championships (in consecutive years), founder-owner of the successful archery training and advisory business, Feathers and Fletchings, based in Worstead in Norfolk, and proud owner of a banana-yellow Triumph 955 RS.
Andy – tell us about Feathers and Fletchings.
We do archery-related stuff. We’re archery coaches, mainly. We run sessions for schools and colleges, activity centres, sports centres … that sort of thing. We provide private coaching – that’s the really intense stuff for competitive archers – and we do a lot of these two-and-a-half-day Archery GB Instructor courses. Hopefully that’s a sign of increasing opportunities for youngsters to learn archery.
We’re technical advisors to Hautbois Activity Centre in Coltishall, and a number of other centres across the country. We provide information and guidance regarding industry compliance, teaching practices, personal safety, range position … and we organise their staff training.
Is the arrow wrap product Fletch-o-Set your own design?
Yes – I’m an inventor!
The arrows we usually use for teaching are made of aluminium. Now, there’s a natural oxide layer on the surface of metal that delays corrosion, but to thicken the oxide layer and increase resistance to wear and tear and corrosion, the aluminium is anodised. Are you keeping up?
Just about.
Good. Well, the anodising process leaves the aluminium slightly oily, which makes things very difficult when it comes to sticking on the fletchings. That’s where Fletch-o-Set comes in. It’s a strip of vinyl with an adhesive backing that’s wrapped around the back portion of the arrow shaft, forming a barrier between the oily surface of the metal and the glue that attaches the fletchings.
We can print whatever you like on your Fletch-o-Set strips – a club’s or sponsor’s logo, for example – so it serves a proprietary purpose as well.
Do you teach people with physical disabilities?
Yes, we do. There are ways to accommodate students with disabilities, and this is actually a big part of the GB Instructor training course.
Equal opportunity is key. I’m not talking about equal or uniform treatment. You need to treat people in very different ways if you’re going to provide them with the opportunity to achieve equally. We train instructors to assess the needs of individuals and to provide the help that they need.
I’ll give you some examples: a blind archer may need a tactile sighting aid; an archer with only one arm may need someone to lend a hand in holding the bow or some form of mechanical device to pull and release the string; a wheelchair user may need a little help in manoeuvring the wheelchair.
As an instructor, you have to be aware of different needs and you have to be constantly developing the skills to adapt your lessons to these needs. I’ve worked with severely abused kids. Their perception of right and wrong – i.e. the consequences of ‘doing something wrong’ – is sometimes warped, and can be detrimental to learning. Reassurance and consistent treatment will help to free a child from the bonds of fear. Sounds a bit fluffy, I know, but fear is restrictive. Take social anxiety – a perfect example.
What were you doing before wielding bows and doing archery-related stuff?
Until eighteen years ago, I was an engineer, working in steel fabrication. One particular job I’m very proud of is the design and construction of the enormous steel brazier that contained the first millennium beacon, lit by the Queen.
I know that you care deeply about giving children the opportunities they deserve. Can you tell us about Kids With Cake?
Well, it’s a simple system whereby a proportion of our turnover is siphoned off for the purpose of providing free sessions for disadvantaged kids who wouldn’t otherwise get the opportunity to have a go at archery.
The name comes from an experience I had when teaching after-school archery sessions at a school for ‘difficult’ children. It’s a long story. It’s on the website of one of my other companies. (click here for more).
While we’re talking about kids with cake, I might as well mention the Big Brownie Tea Party in August 2014. I taught an archery session in the garden at 10 Downing Street with 100 brownies – and David Cameron!
Have you ever taught archery abroad?
Yes, a few times. And I’ve also been taught abroad. I had a wonderful experience at the US Olympic Training Centre in California. I was trained by head coach, KiSik Lee, and was awarded Level IV Performance Coach status. I’m not a big-headed person, but I’m really proud of this achievement; there aren’t many coaches outside the US who are trained and qualified to this level.
The laws of physics, as defined by Scottie in Star Trek …
(Andy has an exceptional knowledge of human behaviour and the psychology of learning. He also has an in-depth understanding of the science of archery. He hides his intelligence pretty well, though, behind humour and brusqueness.
When I asked Andy for a business card, he said he couldn’t find any, but he produced, instead, four playing cards – all Kings of Hearts. Then, at point blank range, he performed card tricks that had us all gaping. He told us about his magic tricks.)
Sometimes a group of kids will get restless. You might have children wandering away, others being noisy – and maybe a quiet kid is left out. That’s when I bring out the card tricks. It’s like a magnet. They gather round, totally focussed – and unified in one activity.
(The four playing cards turned out to be business cards!)
At Pellpax, we work hard to ensure our staff expertise is some of the best in the industry, so they can provide excellent customer service. We believe training is vital.
Our very own James Hancock carrying arrows back from the target.
That’s why, in April this year, Pellpax sent three of the archery shop sales team – James Hancock, Chris Roberts, and Jake Kirk – to Eaton Vale Scout and Guide Activity Centre in Norwich to take the Archery GB Instructor Course. It was led by highly knowledgeable official Archery GB instructors Andrew Hood and Abbie Stewardson. Blogger and writer Hazel Randall joined them to participate and observe proceedings….
I was delighted to be included in the event. Everyone on the Archery GB Instructor course was there to learn how to teach archery to a group of beginners. The instructor, Andrew Hood, demonstrated a beginners’ session.
Andy is not only an excellent archer – he’s a first-class teacher. Understanding that experience shapes the way we perceive and interpret the world, Andy adapts his sessions to the needs and ability of each student. His instruction has a fluid quality that reaches the most distant individual.
Introduction
Andy introduced himself – name and credentials – and asked for the names of all the students. He told us that the aim of the session was to learn how to shoot. We were asked if we had any medical conditions that might affect our shooting. “You don’t need to shout it out,” Andy told us. “Just come and tell me privately.”
Andy then asked the students about archery experience. If a student has had a go before, then preconceived knowledge and learnt behaviour may affect their ability to follow instructions. In this case, particularly, experienced performance shooters posed the greatest challenge. This course was not about shooting well – it was about learning (or relearning) each minute step of archery protocol as set out by Archery GB.
Our own James Hancock, holder of many shooting titles, had the difficult task of temporarily shedding his ingrained, automatic habits in order to adopt new sequences. James told me that many
James takes aim
aspects of this course were enlightening, in that he became aware of details that needed to be explained to beginners – details so familiar to James that he was unaware of their importance to a novice.
It is important that an instructor fully understands every aspect of the activity – far more than he will ever share with his students. Andy told us what we needed to know, when we needed to know it. He didn’t overload us with information, and he repeated each point clearly.
After the introduction, everyone trooped from the classroom to the archery range. As he gathered his equipment together and pottered into the sunshine, Andy whistled softly to himself. By the time we were all gathered together, two other people were humming or whistling that same tune. His natural charisma and leadership were infectious. This happened on two other occasions, and when I mentioned it to Andy, he said, “You see how easily people are influenced by what they hear; they probably don’t even know they’ve heard it.”
The waiting line
Andy told us that the waiting line is a rope stretched across the range, parallel to the targets. Its purpose is safety. The rule is: don’t cross the line until your instructor invites you to do so. If you cross the line once, you receive a warning. If you cross it a second time, it’s an early bath!
Tell students what to do – don’t tell them what not to do
Andy explained: “Running on the archery range is strictly forbidden. So don’t run makes sense – until your students are hopping, skipping, and jumping all over the place, and your life suddenly becomes a nightmare of blood, death, and paperwork. The correct way to move around on an archery range is to walk. So the best instruction to give students is: walk.”
Chris Roberts from the Pellpax team takes aim at archery targets
The bracer
A bracer protects the shooter’s inner forearm from the bowstring. The word bracer is probably unfamiliar to young children, and easily forgotten. The term arm guard carries overtones of danger and pain – why else would you need a guard? So Andy referred to the bracer as an arm thingy; it’s just a thing you put on your arm.
We were asked to hold up the hand we write with (remember that these sessions are designed for children), and a bracer was put into our dominant hand. We were shown how to put the bracer onto the opposite arm (the one that holds the bow). To check that we were wearing the bracer on the correct arm, we were asked to raise our dominant hand again, to check that no bracer was being worn on this arm. (In case you’re wondering – yes, there was at least one!)
Arrow length check
Arrow length is an important safety check. It is safest for everyone to use long arrows, avoiding the possibility of somebody tall using an arrow that is too short.
The Pellpax archery team learning about arrow length
A person’s arm span is virtually equal to his own height. So a tall person will have a longer arm span than a short person. When an archer draws back his bowstring, the longer his arms, the further back the string (and arrow) will go. So if the arrow is not long enough, it will be drawn back beyond the riser (middle section of the bow). There have been some very nasty accidents involving pierced hands and arms, caused by using short arrows.
The shooting line
When students are introduced to the shooting line, understanding the rules is crucial for safety. Students might be told: stand behind the line. But what does this mean?
It might mean, stand anywhere behind the line. But if a student shoots from a couple of feet behind the line, others – who are standing forward of the shooter but behind the line – would be in danger. Stand behind the line might mean, put your toes on the line and face the target. In this case, an extra lesson must be taught in taking up the correct position.
Although the idea of the shooting line is to be behind it, Andy finds that the clearest and safest way to teach this element of archery protocol is to instruct students to stand with feet parallel, one either side of the shooting line, the arm-brace arm towards the target.It is made clear that only one foot is over the line and that equipment is not to be handled until you are in this position.
This choice of words results in a steady stance, a safe shooting position, and elimination of the risk that a student will wander around with equipment or step over the shooting line.
Jake Kirk from Pellpax takes aim.
The STOP command
The STOP command is for potentially catastrophic situations. Anybody on the archery range can call it, and the command must be acted upon immediately. If an archer is at full draw when the STOP command is given, he must abort that shot. The first step is to point the drawn arrow at the ground in front of you. At this point the string tension must be released.
The terms release or let go may suggest following through with the shot, firing the arrow into the ground. But push the arrow forward describes the controlled manner in which an archer should keep hold of the arrow and slowly ease the string tension until bow and arrow are held separately, at which point they can be returned to bow stand and quiver.
Demonstration
Standing in the correct position, Andy picked up the bow and an arrow. Holding the bow in front of him, and keeping the arrowhead facing the archery target (i.e. away from everybody), he slid the arrow up the right side of the bow, over the top, and down the left side of the bow. A left-handed archer will do this the opposite way round (left to right).
He then fitted the nock onto the bowstring between the nocking points, and with three fingers (fore, middle, and ring) underneath the arrow, drew the string back until his forefinger touched the
An Arrow between nocking points.
corner of his mouth. He aimed and fired. This demonstration was done with commentary. Andy went through the process again, but without speaking. Our visual learning was now brought to the fore. Andy explained the power of visual experience by suggesting a scenario.
“Children are passing by the archery range en route to a canoeing lesson, and they happen to witness an archer walking straight from the shooting line to the target in order to retrieve his arrows. The children don’t really register what they see – they’re thinking about canoeing. But they’ve seen it; the memory is made.”
Guided shoot
Individually, we were guided through the shooting of three arrows. Physical guidance can be valuable in teaching. Having limbs put into position and torso turned at the right angle can give the nervous system a head start in the learning of new moves.
Retrieval of arrows
Following the instructor, we filed round the edge of the range to the targets. When you extract an arrow from the archery target, you need to consider three things. One: do minimum damage to the fabric of the target. Two: reduce the risk of losing the piles (arrow tips). Three: don’t stab anyone.
Andy placed a hand flat on the target, with the arrow between forefinger and middle finger(“or middle finger and ring finger if that’s more comfortable”), looked behind him, and pressed against the target as he drew the arrow out. This method of retrieval protects the target from tearing, and if the pile has come free of the arrow, you’ll find it wedged between your fingers. Looking behind you, of course, will prevent you from stabbing anybody!
After pulling our arrows from the archery target (or picking them up from behind it), we walked straight back to the shooting line (across the range), the arrows held in one hand, resting over a shoulder. There followed a period of free shooting. Andy asked us questions that tested our memories of what we’d learnt. There followed a review of the session from a teaching point of view.
Open and closed questions
Andy talked to us about open and closed questions. “Ask a group of kids, did you enjoy the session? and you know that the answer will be yes. Children know that’s what you expect to hear; they know that’s what their peers will say; they know there’ll be some sort of fuss or attention or adult fretting if the answer’s no.
But questions like what did you enjoy about the session? / what did you find difficult? / why did we teach you about the waiting line and the shooting line? produce thought-driven answers.Just as an ill-chosen phrase can give wrong (or ambiguous) information, so a badly worded question can smother real communication in pointless platitudes.”
Be specific
Andy demonstrated the importance of choosing apt vocabulary. We were asked to hold up our hands at face level, palms facing each other, a head width apart. Then we were asked to close our eyes and move our hands apart a little bit. When eyes were opened, it was obvious that interpretations of a little bit varied hugely – from less than a centimetre to about fifteen centimetres.
Presentation
Andy spoke at an even pitch and speed, and his delivery was clear and audible. He never conveyed impatience or stress or haste. Certain phrases were repeated several times over, allowing students to grasp new facts that might otherwise have skimmed over our consciousness like a miss-fired arrow. The day was enjoyed by all of the Pellpax team, and we all felt we had developed a knowledge of how to guide and instruct young archers taking their first steps.
If you’re passionate about the outdoors and want to learn more about survival skills and bushcraft, then this short primer will help to give you a few pointers on how to fend for yourself, and enjoy those nights under the stars.
Corkscrew
The Sportsman by Victorinox is a versatile multi tool.
The tighter the knot, the stronger it holds. But the tighter the knot, the harder it is to undo! The corkscrew on the Sportsmanby Victorinox is the perfect tool for undoing tight knots. Weave the corkscrew into the knot and coax the threads apart.
Clamps
A useful component of a survival kit is a handful of heavy-duty tarpaulin clamps with metal eyelets. Taking a firm grip on fabric, these clamps add stability to a tent in bad weather or provide anchorage for a makeshift shelter.
Water Strainer
If there is no clear water to be found, use a tightly woven piece of cotton fabric, like a T-shirt or bandana, to strain mucky water. The cloth can be repeatedly rinsed and reused.
Honey
A gauze pad spread with honey is an excellent dressing for infections and burns. Honey is antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal. Dr Susan Meschwitz, who led research into the healing properties of honey, said, “The unique property of honey lies in its ability to fight infection on multiple levels.” In cold weather, though, honey will crystallise and will have to be warmed before use.
The Biolite CampStove has all kinds of uses.
Firelighters
Commercial firelighters take up quite a bit of space when you’re travelling light. Here are some superb ideas for homemade (and cheap) firelighters. Save remnants of wax candles and melt them over a BioLite CampStove, which is fuelled by twigs and pieces of wood. Coat some cotton pads or cardboard strips with the molten wax. When the wax has set, keep these firelighters in a watertight bag until they are needed.
Root cordage
When in need of emergency rope, excavate the thinner tree roots that are to be found near the surface of the soil. Strip off the bark, and the roots can be used straight away for binding. The Classic SD by Victorinox is a handy tool to carry with you for this type of work, along with the Blademedic Knife Sharpener. For tighter binding, the root will need to be dried out first, but wet it before use to make it more flexible.
Bark cordage
For finer, intricate binding, cut strips of willow bark, scrape off the outer bark, and keep these scrapings. Put the strips of inner bark into a pan of water with some wood ash and the saved scrapings of outer bark, and simmer for at least 45 minutes. The strips will now be flexible and durable.
Collecting dew
One of the simplest ways to collect water – when there is a shortage – is to lay a piece of cotton fabric (a tea shirt, for example) over dew-covered vegetation and squeeze the collected water into a container. It is advisable to boil the water before drinking it.
The Lineaeffe Multitool is an excellent piece of kit for survival in the outdoors.
Steamed fish
Make up a hot fire with a good bed of embers. Lay a piece of moss turf on the fire, green side up. Put your gutted and cleaned fish (the Lineaeffe Multitool is a superb bit of kit for this purpose) on the moss, and cover them with another lump of moss, green side down. Leave your fish to steam for about 30 minutes, sandwiched within the moss.
Treatment of diarrhoea
Ingest ground charcoal, which can absorb more than twice its own mass in toxins. To make charcoal, put soft wood into a closed tin. Punch a hole in the top of the tin and put it into a fire, allowing the wood to burn in an oxygen-free environment. When no more smoke is coming out of the hole, remove the tin from the fire and allow it to cool. Grind the charcoal, mix it with water, and drink it. It’s an effective (and by all accounts horrible) treatment of diarrhoea.
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This month, we spoke to veteran shotgun champion, John Bidwell. The Suffolk-based shooter is highly respected in the world of shooting, and has won in venues all over the world – from Spain to Australia, Germany to America, and many at home in Britain. In this interview, he shares with us his illustrious shooting career, his conferencing and shooting venue High Lodge, Clay Pigeon Shooting Association, charity work, and much more.
With seven World Championship titles in individual events and 30 years’ participation in the Great Britain shooting team, 68-year-old John Bidwell is still competing at international level in the Super Veteran category. He is the inventor and manufacturer of the Auto Sporter Clay Trap machine and the founding owner of one of the most prodigious shooting venues in the country. John is the author of Move, Mount, Shoot: A Champion’s Guide to Sporting Clays, described as ‘the only comprehensive manual’of the maintained lead method of shooting.
Do you come from a shooting background, John?
No, I don’t. My dad really wasn’t a fan of guns, although he’d worked as an armourer during the war. I got no encouragement from my parents when it came to shooting. I loved the sport, though, and I grabbed every opportunity to practise. In the late 1960s, when I was in my early twenties, I joined a shooting club, and ten years later I was part of the Great Britain shooting team. I’d never had a single lesson!
Tell us about your first shooting club and how you moved on to High Lodge.
The sport had been rapidly gaining popularity during the 1970s, and in 1982, we – my wife, Sally, and I – leased a bit of land at Henham Park in Suffolk, bought some second-hand equipment, and set up our first shooting club. I’d already got this vision of helping to make shooting a more mainstream sport, giving everybody the opportunity to have a go. I did some coaching while Sally ran the clubhouse. I say ‘clubhouse’ – it was a portable hut where members could get a hot drink and a burger!
In 1989, when the lease on the Henham Park land was about to run out, we got the opportunity to buy 100 acres of land at Hinton in Suffolk.
Can you describe High Lodge?
Well, I’m very proud of the fact that it’s one of only a few British shooting venues with a CPSA Premium rating. We’re now a 120-acre luxury resort, catering for conferences and corporate hospitality, short breaks, and celebratory occasions; we do quite a few weddings, actually. I run it with my two daughters, Jane and Helen. Sadly, Sally died in August 2011. She’s very much missed in the shooting world.
A popular feature at High Lodge is our ‘indoor’ outdoor range. Safety cages are incorporated into 12’ by 8’ wooden structures that provide shelter for people and equipment. We have a golf course, which opened in March 1998, an archery range, and two half-acre fishing lakes.
As far as accommodation goes, we’re growing. At the moment we have 19 luxury lodges – with planning permission for an additional 32, which are presently under construction. We have some rather nice function rooms and five-star catering, with extensive parking – and even helicopter landing facilities.
Is the Auto Sporter Clay Trap your own invention?
Absolutely. When we opened High Lodge, all the traps were manually operated, which was restrictive for shooters, because you couldn’t just pop out for a session without booking someone to pull. So, during the following few years, I worked on the production of electrically powered traps. My first model ran off the mains, but eventually we had the Auto Sporter Clay Trap machine, which is still manufactured on site at High Lodge by experienced technicians and engineers. It’s supplied to shooting clubs and competitive events all over the world and is used in conjunction with an automatic counter system.
What is your connection with Blaser, the German gun manufacturer?
Fourteen years ago, Blaser got me to help them design their new F3 model. I showcased the F3 prototype shotgun for sale in the FITASC World Championship in France – and actually won! This was great publicity for the F3. I’ve had a close relationship with Blaser and the F3 ever since.
… And other sponsorships?
I have a long-standing relationship with Eley, the leading shotgun cartridges manufacturer, and I’ve recently engaged in mutual promotion with Lings of Lowestoft and their Mitsubishi L200 truck.
Tell us about your relationship with the CPSA. You’re Honorary Vice President.
The CPSA – that’s the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association – takes good care of its members. But the recruitment of new members is a role typically taken on by clubs like ours. The have-a-go sessions that I organise at shooting events, and the accessibility to the sport that High Lodge offers, open the door to beginners. At High Lodge, a special rate is offered to anyone who joins the CPSA – in fact, High Lodge recruits more CPSA members than any other club in the country.
What’s coming up this year for you?
Okay – I’ll give you a list of events. There’ll be have-a-go sessions at most of these.
High Lodge is well known for its charity events. Is this an important part of your work?
Yes, we’ve hosted many fundraising events for causes like East Anglian Children’s Hospices (EACH), East Anglian Air Ambulance, Cancer Research, The Multiple Sclerosis Society, Macmillan … and lots of others. One particular cause that’s close to our hearts is the care of Guillain-Barré sufferers; this is the debilitating disease that attacked Sally five years ago. We have an annual memorial shoot for Sally. I donated my solid silver World Championship trophy, won in 1996, as the champion’s prize for this event.
John is running a series of ‘have a go’ drop in sessions at his lodge. The dates are.
April 25th-26th: East Anglian Game & Country Fair at the Norfolk Showground, NR11 7WW
June 15th-18th: The Clay Shooting Classic at High Lodge, IP17 3QT
July 2nd-3rd: Country Fair at Heveningham Hall Estate, IP19 0PN
September 1st-4th: CPSA British Open Championship at High Lodge, IP17 3QT
September 10th-11th: Sandringham Game and Country Fair, PE35 6EN
Driving over Lambrigg Fell in Cumbria, Chris passes the Lambrigg Wind Farm (pictured), owned by RWE npower renewables (previously National Wind Power). The wind farm, opened in September 2000, comprises five turbines that produce enough pollution-free electricity to meet the average needs of around 2,500 UK homes.
must be taken from a standing and a kneeling position. (If your knees aren’t up to kneeling, you can opt for standing only!)
We do archery-related stuff. We’re archery coaches, mainly. We run sessions for schools and colleges, activity centres, sports centres … that sort of thing. We provide private coaching – that’s the really intense stuff for competitive archers – and we do a lot of these two-and-a-half-day Archery GB Instructor courses. Hopefully that’s a sign of increasing opportunities for youngsters to learn archery.
manufactured on site at High Lodge by experienced technicians and engineers. It’s supplied to shooting clubs and competitive events all over the world and is used in conjunction with an automatic counter system.